How To Treat Acne - Overview

The are tens of millions of pages on the internet offering acne advice, most of it is good but it is easy to get overwhelmed, so in this article an attempt is made to cut through all the verbiage and make things a little more clear cut.

Bear in mind first of all there are no miracle cures, all acne treatments can take some time to work.

It is assumed your acne is not severe, if it is then its highly likely you will already be seeing a doctor or skin specialist, and with their advice you will know what route to take.

How To Treat Acne Action Steps

Here then is a sawn-off action guide on how to treat acne.

If you have been searching the web for answers you have probably seen the same advice many times but here it is again anyway.

Firstly, are you drinking enough water? proper hydration is extremely important for good skin, mineral or tap water is fine, six to eight glasses a day, maybe more if its very hot where you are, just sip it do not glug it down, if the weather is cold drink hot water from the kettle, (do not drink hot tap water) it might not be to your taste at first but you will get used to it and it does not chill the stomach.

Are you consuming lots of sweet, sugary foods and drinks? if you are stop right now, and start eating healthy while you at it refrain from eating too much junk food, eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, blah blah blah, you know the score, but use this link for some acne diets advice.

Set yourself a good cleansing routine and stick to it every single day, this is vitally important, make time to follow it rigidly, no excuses. There is one available for free one this site, look for the opt-in box in the left hand margin, this will also tell you how to treat acne using Benzoyl Peroxide as your main weapon.

Another route you can take here is to purchase a guide, working on the assumption if you have invested a few dollars in buying one you will be more likely to follow it through, to make sure you get value for money, and of course the authors system may just work for you, check this sites sidebar again under recommended acne systems.

If you wear makeup, read this article: avoiding cosmetic acne there are many products that you dont want to be putting on your skin, some of them can cause breakouts, You may also like to read up on concealers, and sunscreens and then you may also want to look at some good acne cleansers and acne moisturizers.

If you have the odd zit or pimple or a case of mild acne then an over the counter remedy will probably be all you need to clear it up, so make the pharmacy your first port of call, ask the pharmacist what they recommend.

If you havent already done so there are many traditional home remedies for acne that you can try if you are short of money, try lemon juice first!

If your acne is a little worse then arguably the two best commonly available products for treating acne are Benzoyl Peroxide, and Salicylic acid, other products and home remedies may work for some people, but there is nothing as consistently effective as these two products, especially Benzoyl Peroxide.

Make sure you begin with a low concentration product and follow the instructions on the label for use, be aware you will probably suffer minor side effects.

Nothing Worked So Far?

If you have tried all the above for two to three months and nothing worked? Did you honestly stick rigidly to your cleansing routine?
Time to go up a gear. You can read as many website pages as you like but they may not be of much help.
You need a professional opinion so, next pay a visit to your doctor or dermatologist and get their advice on the severity of your condition, they may then give you a stronger prescription medication like Tretinoin or one of its derivatives, in addition they may even prescribe a topical antibiotic as well.

Be aware these may give you some mild side effects on the skin like a burning sensation, reddening or peeling, as you may well do for most acne treatments, there is nothing you can do about this you just have to grin and bear it, and think no pain no gain.

If the Tretinoin had no effect your doctor may now prescribe antibiotics, if he didnt already.

If your doctor or dermo deems your condition serious enough you might be prescribed some oral antibiotics, these can take several months to be effective and also have minor side effects, you will be advised what these are.

Oral contraceptives may be also prescribed for females with acne in some cases, these can work well but once again are not without side effects or some minor risks, although they may be considered many times safer than Accutane. Your doctor will advise you further.

Tried all the above and no improvement? Now its going to get expensive.

How To Treat Acne Other Medical Procedures

Cosmetic procedures. Chemical peels and micro-dermabrasion may work. These cosmetic procedures are most effective when used in combination with other acne treatments. Temporary side effects can be severe redness, scaling and blistering, and long-term skin discoloration.

Laser light therapy, a relatively new technology that may not prove particularly effective, is often given to people with a low tolerance to the drugs mentioned above. fairly expensive, but worth a try.

Hopefully if you have been through all the above your acne has now cleared up, if not you are one of the unfortunate sufferers.

How To Treat Acne As A Last Resort

As a last resort and if you have a real serious acne problem, your doctor may prescribe the real heavy-duty acne drug Isotretinoin, also known as Accutane.

Depending on how desperate you are you may decide to live with your acne rather than risk the potentially dangerous side effects of this drug.
The success rates of Accutane are as high as the risky side effects, which is a list as long as your arm.
Only you can decide if you want to take the risk, if you are a pre-menopausal female you will be monitored by an FDA approved service.

Hopefully this short how to treat acne guide has brought things into perspective for you and you now have a clearer picture of what action to take, persistent action is the key.